Spinal cord stimulation for chronic pain originating from Lyme disease

Background: neuropathic pain is a relatively common outcome of lyme disease. pain management options for these patients have been limited to pharmaceutical treatments. objective: we present a case of chronic pain following lyme disease treated successfully using spinal cord stimulation (scs). study design: case report. setting: pain management clinic. methods: a 62-year-old patient presented with a 5-year history of bilateral foot pain following lyme disease that failed to respond to medication and physical therapy. the patient was treated by a trial of scs at the clinic and then implanted with a spinal cord stimulator. the visual analog scale (vas) assessed pain before and after scs. results: the patient reported significant pain relief and improved foot function. the 10 point vas score was reduced from 8-10 to 1-3. limitations: single case report. conclusion: spinal cord stimulation may be an effective option for relieving chronic pain originating from lyme disease.